Level wind attachment for winch



Oct" 7, I s R. POWERS LEVEL WIND ATTACHMENT FOR WINCH Filed June 25,1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

{ I am R. Powers qffa rngw s. R PowE s' 2,855,163

LEVEL wmn ATTACHMENT FOR WINCH Oct. 7,- 1958 Filed June 23, 1955 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR, 5am R Powers BY United States Patent LEVEL WINDATTACHMENT FOR WINCH Sam R. Powers, Clanton, Ala.

Application June 23, 1955, Serial No. 517,464

3 Claims. (Cl. 242-157.1)

This invention relates to winches and particularly to means to effectthe level winding of a cable on the drum of a winch and has for anobject the. provision of apparatus of the character designated whichshall be simple of design and operation and one which may be readilyapplied to existing winches.

In particular, my invention comprises cooperating pulleys which areslidably mounted on parallel shafts in front of and parallel with theaxis of the drum upon which the cable is being wound. The ends of theshaft for the pulley nearest the drum are yieldably mounted in theirsupports whereby as the cable is wound on the drum the strain on thatpulley causes that end of its shaft to be lowered whereby the tendencyof that pulley to move toward the ends of the drum upon which the turnsof the cable are being wound is increased and a level winding of thecable on the drum is insured.

Another feature of my invention resides in the arrangement of theyielding supports for the shaft of the pulley nearest the drum whereby,as the cable is being wound on the drum under a light load, or no load,the downward movement of the shaft responsive to the winding of thecable on the drum near its ends is limited.

Apparatus embodying features of my invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this application, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the level Winding apparatus removed fromthe frame supporting the drum;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line III--III of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary front elevation, with parts broken away and insection, showing the position which the shaft for the pulley nearest thedrum assumes when the cable is being wound on the drum under load nearone end;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing the cable being wound underload on the drum near the opposite end;

Fig. 6 is a detailed sectional view showing one of the hollow tubularstandards with its yielding supports for the ends of the shaft nearestthe drum;

Fig. 7 is an elevational view, partly in section, taken along the lineVIIVII of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line VIII- VIII of Fig. 7.

Referring to the drawings for a better understanding of my invention, Ishow in Fig. 1 a base or frame 10 having mounted thereon a drum 11having a shaft 12 supported in bearings at 13 and 14. The shaft 12 anddrum 11 .are driven from any suitable source of power, not shown,through a gear reduction train indicated at 16. Being wound upon thedrum is a cable 17.

Mounted in front of the drum 11 are two hollow vertical standards 18 and19 which may be secured to the frame in any suitable manner or, as willlater appear, may be provided with independent supports in front of thedrum. The supports 18 and 19 are mounted, one opposite each end of thedrum. Mounted on the standards 18 and 19 are forwardly extendingbrackets 21 and 22 which support a shaft 23 which is rigidly mountedthereon. Shaft 23 extends parallel to the shaft 12 and drum 11 and hasslidingly mounted thereon a pulley 24 having a groove therein in whichthe cable 17 is adapted to run.

Each of the standards 18 and 19, near its upper end, is provided withdiametrically opposed, elongated, vertical slots 27 and 28 which areadapted to receive the flattened ends 29 and 31 of a shaft 32 which,when under no load, extends parallel to the shaft 23. Slidingly mountedon the shaft 32 is a pulley 33, similar to the pulley 24 alreadydescribed. The distance between the pulleys 24 and 33 should be suchthat there is a relatively close or narrow clearance between the twopulleys, but sufficient for the cable 17 to pass over the pulley 33 andthen under the pulley 24 as shown in Fig. 1.

Mounted in the lower end of each of the standards 18 and 19, as shown indetail in Fig. 6, is a relatively light, short spring 34. Resting on topof the spring 34 is an abutment 36 having a lower stem 37 extendingdownwardly into the spring and which under predetermined pressurestrikes the bottom of the lower end of the standard and limits downwardmovement of the spring. Also mounted within each of the hollow standards18 and 19, ontop of the abutment 36 is a relatively longer, heavierspring 38. The abutment 36 has an upper stem 39 extending upwardly intothe spring 38 to hold its lower end in place, as is well understood.Resting on top of the spring 38 is an abutment 41 which fits slidinglywithin each of the standards 18 and 19 and which has a stem 42 at itslower end extending down into the spring 38 to guide its movements. Theabutment 41 is provided with an elongated slot 43 which extends axiallyof the shaft 32 and a pin 44 extends through the flattened end 29 of theshaft 32 and rests in the slot 43 whereby to limit endwise movement ofthe shaft 32.

In operation, as already explained, and as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 of thedrawing, the cable 17 being wound on the drum 11 is passed over thepulley 33 and under the pulley 24, whereby whatever load, or strain ison the cable 17 is reflected in a downward force exerted upon the pulley33 and its shaft 32. When the cable 17 is being wound on the drum underrelatively light load, and as the turns of the cable pass the middle ofthe drum and approach one end thereof, the spring 34 may be compressedcausing the shaft 32 to tilt downwardly toward that end thus enablingthe pulley 33 to slide more freely toward that end and take with it thepulley 24. This insures an even, level Winding of the cable on the drum.With heavier loads, after the stem 37 of the abutment 36 has bottomed onthe lower end of the standard 18 or 19, the spring 38 may be compressed,the amount of compression depending upon the amount of load upon thecable. Under greater loads, it will be apparent that the cable, as itapproaches one end of the drum will cause that end of the shaft to tiltdownwardly proportionately to the load. In all events it effects aneven, more uniform movement of the pulleys on their shafts and an evenlevel winding of the cable upon the drum.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that I have devised an improvedlevel winding attachment for the drum upon which a cable is being woundwhich is simple and economical of design and reliable in operation.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious tothose skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptibleof various changes and modifications without departing from the spiritthereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall beplaced thereupon as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a level wind attachment for a. winch including a drum and a cable:to be wound: on. the drum, a shaft fixedly mounted directly infront ofthe drum with its aXis- Parallel with.- the axis of the drum, aperipherally grooved pulley slidingly mounted on. said shaft, a secondshaft mounted between and normally parallel to the first mentioned shaftand the drum and at a higher level, than the first mentioned shaft,spring means supporting the. second shaft at each end thereof, a secondperipherally grooved pulley slidingly mounted on the second shaft incooperative relation to the. first mentioned pulley, the cable passingunder the. first mentioned pulley and over: the second mentioned pulleyand thenceonto the. drum whereby as the turns of the cable pass. themiddle of the drum and approach one end thereof, said second shaft istilted downward at that end and the tendency of the second pulley tomove toward the endof the drum upon. which the turns of the cable; arebeing wound is increased.

2. In a levelwind attachment for a winch including a drum and. a cableto be wound on the drum, shaft supporting means mounted directly infront. of the drum neareach end thereof, a shaft fixedly mounted in saidshaft supporting means to extend parallel to the axis of the drum, aperipherally grooved pulley slidingly mounted, on the shaft, a secondshaft mounted between and normally parallel to the first mentioned shaftand the drum and at ahigher level than the first mentioned shaft,spring; supports for the ends of the second shaft at each end thereof, asecond peripherally grooved pulley slidingly mounted on the secondshaft, the cable passing under the first mentioned pulley, over thesecond mentioned pulley and thence on to the drum whereby as the turnsof the cable pass the middle of the. drum and approach one end thereof,said second shaft is tilted downward at that end and the tendency ofsaid second 4 pulley to move toward the end of the drum upon which theturns of the cable are being wound is increased.

3. In a level wind attachment for a winch including a drum and a cableto be wound on the drum, a hollow vertical standard mounted in front ofthe drum near each end thereof, forwardly extending brackets rigidlymounted on each standard, a shaft mounted in said brackets to extendparallel with the axis of the drum, a pulley slidingly mounted on theshaft, a relatively light short spring mounted in the lower end of eachhollow standard, an abutment member mounted on said spring, a relativelyheavier longer spring mounted in each support on the abutment, a secondabutment mounted in the support on top of the heavier longer spring, asecond shaft disposed at a higher level than the first mentioned shaftat the rear of and extending generally paralled to the first mentionedshaft and having its ends extending through the hollow standards andresting, on the second abutments, there being elongated vertical slotsin said standards to receive the. ends of said second shaft, and asecond pulley slidingly mounted on said second shaft, the cable passingover said second pulley and under the first mentioned pulley whereby asthe turns of the cable pass the middle of the drum and approach one endthereof, said second shaft is tilted downward at that end and thetendency of said second pulley to move toward the: end of the drum uponwhich the turns of the cable are being wound. is increased.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,570,116 Yount Jan. 19, 1926 2,150,322 Garnett' et al Mar. 14, 19392,493,026 Pointer Jan. 3', 1950 2,738,938 Bensonet a1 Mar. 20, 1956FOREIGN PATENTS 812,710 Germany Sept. 3., 195. 1

